Tide power



F. .BAEHN.

TIDE POWER APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28, I920- INVENTOR 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Patented Feb. 21, 1922.

ATI'ORNEY WITNBS:

F. BAEHN.

n05 POWER.

ATTORNEY WlTNESS: v

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n: Fric.

TIDE POWER.

Application filed September 28, 1920.

To all whom it may concern Be 1t known that I, FREDERICK BAEHN,

' a citizen of the United States, residing at Jersey (liltly, in the county of Hudson and State of ew Jersey, have invented a new and zuseful Tide Power, of which the following is a specification.

My invention of a tide motive power generator is intended to produce motive power by the use of the ebb and flow tide and the principal object is to provide a machine of this nature with means whereby the turning of the paddle wheels in opposite directions upon the ebb and flow of the tide may be caused to turn a power shaft in a single direction.

Another object is to provide means for automatically raising and lowering the paddle wheels in accordance with the rise and tion and. combination and arrangement of same.

accompanying drawings parts the essential features of which are hereinafter fully described and claimed, and oneembodiment of which is shown in the comprising two sheets, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of my new tide motive power generator.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the reversing shaft.

Like characters of reference refer to like parts in all views.

,My invention contemplates providing a generator consisting of a series of paddle wheels mounted on a Heat and geared to a shaft provided with reversible gearing, said shaft being connected by a system of belts toa power shaft from which the power may. be taken off, and means being provided for maintaining the belts at a constant tension in all positions of the float.

Referring more indetail to the drawing, 1 represents a pier which may be of any usual construction and 2 represents a passage .wayconstructed of timbers or concrete. Mounted in suitable brackets secured to the walls of passage 2 is a plurality of vertical bars 3, I A floatft is provided with bifurcated Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 21, 1922.

Serial No. 413,336.

bearing members 5 between the furcations of which are the aforesaid bars 3. The float is cut away as at 6 to permit the use of paddle wheels 7 which are provided with drive shafts 8 mounted in bearings 9 secured to the float. Mounted on one end of each shaft 8 is a beveled gear wheel 10 which 1s adapted to mesh with bevel gear 11' or a bevel gear 12, said gears 11 and 12 being mounted on a shaft 13, which shaft has itsbearings in brackets 14 rising from float 4.

The gears 11 and 12 are pinned or keyed on shaft 13, andthe shaft is. adaptedto be shifted longitudinally-t0 bring either one of the gears 11 and 12 in mesh with the respective bevel gear 10. This longitudinal shift of shaft13 is accomplished-by means of screws 15 mounted in threaded apertures in brackets 16. Each screw'15 is provided at its outer end with an operating wheel 17 and bears with its inner end against the respective end of the shaft 13 and is provided with a limiting. member 1'?" for limiting adjustments of shaft 13. By screwing ,one screw 15 out and the other one in the shaft/may be shifted longitudinally'to en gage either the wheel 11or the wheel 12. with the wheel 10.

' A swinging frame is constructed of arms 18 and cross barsl8 said arms being pivotally mounted at one end on shaft 13 and extending therefrom toward the other 'side of the passage 2, and supporting at their opposite ends a shaft 19 upon the ends of which are loosely mounted pulleys 20.

Sprockets 2O are secured to the pulleys 20. Pulleys 21 are secured on shaft 13 and belts 22 pass over corresponding pulleys 20 and 21 as shown in the drawing. A weight 23 is applied to the free end of the frame and secured to one of the cross bars 18 thereof.

The bars 18 are held against displacement longitudinally of the shaft by brackets 14 extending upwardly fromthe float 4.

Mounted in bearings formed in brackets 2d secured to the edge of the pier 1 isa shaft 25 provided at opposite ends with pulleys 26 and near its center with a pulley 27'. Endless chains 27 connect corresponding sprocket wheels 2O" and26 and the weight 23 tends constantly to keep the belts 27 the tidal stream will move back and forth through the race way 2,-in one direction upon the ebb and in the opposite direction upon the flow. It will be obvious that in this manner the paddle wheels will be operated by the tidal stream, but will be operated in different directions by the ebb and flow and if no means were provided to compensate the shaft 31 would also turn in opposite directions. But the attendant at each turn of the tide readjusts shaft 13 and gears 11 and 12 so as to cause the movement of the paddle Wheels 7 in opposite directions to turn the power shaft in a constant direction.

'lVhile I have described what I deem to be the most desirable embodiment of my invention, it is obvious thatmany of the details may be varied without in any way departing from the spirit of my invention; and I therefore do not limit myself to the exact details of construction herein set forth nor to anything less than the whole of my invention limited ;only by the appended claims.

.What I cla1m as new and desire to secure by: Letters Patent is 1."-In a, tide power generator, the combination of a float adapted to rise and fall with the tide, paddle wheels on said float and operable by the ebb and flow of the tide,

' a driving gear operable by each paddle *mitting motion from the wheel, a pair of gears for each of said driving gears, means for moving either gear of said pair into mesh with its respective driv-' ing gear, a power shaft and means for transgears of said'pair to'said power shaft.

2. In a tide power generator the combination of a float, paddle wheels mounted on :said float, a shaft journaled in suitable bearings on said float, means carried by said paddle" wheels-for rotating said shaft, a weighted swinging" frame pivotally suppo'rte-d on said shaft, a power shaft, transmission means for [operating said power "shaft, including endless chains intermediate said transmission means and the free side of saidframe' andadapted to be held under a substantially uniform tension [11 all positions of said float.

' 3.1In a tide power generation-thecombination of a passage comprising two walls, brackets held by said walls, bars held by said brackets, a float between said walls and adapted to travel up and down on said bars,

s'haftsjournaled in suitable hearings on said floatfpaddle wheelsrotatably mounted on said-shafts, transmission mechanism including belts, and means for maintaining said belts under substantially uniform tension in allpositions of said float.

4.In' a tide power generator, the combination of-a passage comprising, spaced walls, brackets held by said walls, bars held by said brackets', afloat between said walls sitions of said float, and means for reversing 7 said transmission mechanism to compensate for reversal of the direction of drive of said paddle wheels. Q

5. The combination of two walls disposed opposite each other so as to form a passage.

way, brackets mounted on said. walls, rods mounted in said brackets, a float, guide members on said float and co-actingwith said rods, brackets on said float, a longitudinally movable shaft mounted in bearings in said brackets, gears mounted on said shaft, paddle wheels, shafts for said paddle wheels and mounted on said float, gears on said paddle wheel shafts and adapted to be engaged by the gears on said longitudinally movable shaft, arms pivoted to said longitu l i V dinally movable shaft, bars connectingsaid arms to form a frame extending toward the opposite side of said passage way, brackets on said float for preventing movement of said frame longitudinally of said movable shaft, a weight secured to the free end of said frame, pulleys fast to each end of said movable shaft, pulleys freely mounted at opposite sides of the free end of said frame, 7 V

belts connecting the first said pulleys with respective ones of the second said pulleys, a shaft mounted at one side of said passage,

means connecting the second said pulleys with the last said shaft, a power shaft, means connecting the two shafts last men tioned, and means for shifting said movable shaft longitudinally.

6. In a tide power generator, the com-' bination of spaced walls, a float adapted to rise and fall with the ebb and flow ofthe tide between said walls, a longitudinally shiftable shaft journaled in suitable bear.- ingson said float, means carriedby said float for rotating said shaft, a power shaft,

and transmission means for impartingmotion from. said longitudinally shiftable shaft to said power shaft. I

. 7.111 a tide power generator, the com bination of spaced walls-a float adapted to rise and fall with the ebb and flowof the tide between said walls, a longitudinally shiftable shaft ournaled in suitable hearings on said float, means foigarl tistiilg said longitudina-lly movable shaft means carried. by said float for rotating said shaft, a power shaft, and transmission means fOI'.1II1ptll)1Ilg motion from said longitudinally shiftable shaft to said power shaft. 7,

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

FREDERICK BAEHN. 

